Fuel pump actuating lever



. 9, 1958 M. KATCHER FUEL PUMP ACTUATING LEVER Filed June 50, 1954 IN V EN TOR. K4 TCK-IE MOIGQ/S TOE/VEY.

United States Patt 2,863,331 FUEL PUMP ACTUATING LEVER Morris Katcher, New York, N. Y. Application June 30, 1954, Serial No. 440,445

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-569) This invention relates to fuel pumps and more particularly to actuating mechanisms for diaphragm type pumps.

I am aware that fuel pumps for gasoline engines are not new per se, and that various types of linkages, levers, and mechanical systems for actuating the diaphragms thereof have been devised. The present invention is believed to be an improvement over prior proposed devices for various reasons which will become apparent in the detailed description to follow.

It is an object of my invention to provide a lever for actuating the diaphragms of a double diaphragm pump wherein one diaphragm pumps fluid fuel to the motor and the other diaphragm creates a suction for use with suction-operated devices such as the windshield wipers of a vehicle as a booster source in usual intake manifold suction.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lever of such simple construction that it may readily be manufactured in quantity by a stamping process from sheetmetal.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a combination of a lever and a double diaphragm pump wherein the lever is readily assembled in the pump in coaction with rods which actuate the diaphragms.

In brief, my invention contemplates the use of a single, one-piece lever which may be made from a stamping and which has simple efiective diaphragm rod engagement portions coacting with complementarily shaped lever engaging portions of respective rods.

A detailed description of my invention will now be given in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partially in section through a portion of a fuel pump of the double diaphragm type, Showing a lever in accordance with my invention, disposed for operation of said diaphragms.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the lever illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig, 3 is a modification of the structure shown in Fig. 1 insofar as the lever and one of the diaphragm actuating rods is concerned.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modification of my lever shown as applied to a pump, illustrated fragmentarily in section.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the lever shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 illustrates certain details of the rod ends coactconjunction with the ing with the modified lever of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary showing of a lever arm having a modified cam follower, and

Fig. 8 is a section through 88 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a further modified cam.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, my invention comprises an actuating lever or rocker arm 10 pivoted at 14 within the body of a double-acting diaphragm pump 16 of the usual type wherein a pair of rods 18 and 20 are utilized for motivating respective spring biased diaphragms (not shown) in a well known manner.

Patented Dec. 9, 1958 My lever is provided at one end with a sliding saddle element 24 secured thereto by means of a pin 26 riding in a slot 30, there being wear plates 32 fastened as by rivets 34 to the sides of the lever. p r V The saddle 24 is curved as shown to properly engage a cam or eccentric 35 which it will be understood is driven within the crank case and serves to oscillate lever 10 about pivot 14.

My lever is preferably provided with a notch 38 to provide clearance with the edge of the aperture 40 in the Wall 42 which represents the side of a crank case.

The lever 10 is so formed as to have an offset portion 48 having a protuberance. 50 for retaining one end of a compression spring 54. The other end of the spring is retained by a protuberance 56 formed as part of the fuel pump wall 58. r

The working end of the lever engages diaphragm motivating rods 18 and 20. The rod 18 is formed with a slot 60 straddled at its lower end by a pin 68 which bridges the slot and is secured to the rod in any suitable manner. A rounded notch 70 is provided in the lower edge of the lever 10 for smooth and relative rolling engagement with pin 68. Thus, the radius of the notch 70 is larger than the radius of the pin 68, so as to provide clearance at both sides of the pin whereby the pin may at all times engage the lever within the curvature of the notch for all positions of the lever. It will 'be understood that the notch 70 need not be truly circular in shape, just so long as its curvature is extended suitably. on both sides of the horizontal diameter of the pin 70. i

The rod 20 is provided with a slot 74 in which is engaged the extremity of lever 10 and wherein the lever is provided with a rounded protuberance 76 for a smooth rolling engagement with the straight bottom 78 of the slot 74.

Thus, it will be appreciated from the above description that rotation of the cam will effect oscillation about the pivot 14 of lever 10 through the saddle 24 and against the bias of spring 54. Oscillation of the lever in a counter-clockwise. direction is. effected by the positive force of the cam and serves to'pull down the rod18 against the bias of the usual diaphragm spring fragmentarily illustrated. At the same time, the rod 20 is pushed down against a diaphragm spring (not shown). On the return stroke of the lever, effected by the spring 54, it will be understood that the diaphragms resume their normal position by the action of their individual springs.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3 showinga modification of the coacting elements of the lever and the diaphragm rods, to the extent of providing a protuberance in place of the notch 70 hereina'bove described. Thus, the lever 10' will be seen to have such a protuberance 82 in conjunction with the protuberance 76 corresponding to the corresponding element 76 of Fig. 1.. In this instance, the rod 18' is provided with a notch 84 having a smooth wall facing inwardly and terminating in a lip or shoulder 86, Which Serves to retain protuberance 82. This modification is, of course, in substitution for the slot and pin arrangement shown in Fig. 1. 2

Attention is now invited to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 through 6, wherein is illustrated a lever cam-actuated as described above, as by the cam 92 acting through a saddle 94. In this instance, the lever is of U-shaped cross section providing a pair of substantially parallel sides, and the saddle 94 is provided with a rib portion 96 having a smooth sliding fit between the sides of the lever. Shoulders 98 are thus eflected, having a smooth sliding fit with the edges of the lever sides such as edge 100. The usual slot and pin arrangement for retaining the saddle is provided as shown. The sides of the lever are punched as at 104 to provide bearings for a pin 106 so as to eifect pivoting of the lever within the v of the birfurcated poriton of the lever.

pump body 108. An car 112 is struck from the body portion of the lever to serve as a retainer for a spring 116 that biases the lever against the cam and effects return motion, as previously described in conjunction with Fig. 1.

The sides of the lever are bifurcated at 118 so as to straddle notches, such as the notch 120 provided on the end of a diaphragm actuating rod 122. The sides of the bifurcated portion of the lever are provided with rounded protuberances 124 and 126 which effect engagement with rods 122 and a rod 130. Thus, protuberances 124 have a smooth sliding, relatively rolling engagement with the bottom of respective rabbets 132 at the end of rod 130, while protuberances 126 have a like engagement with respective notches 120, it being understood that the rod 122 is thus subjected to a balanced pull on each side of the axis thereof by virtue of the straddling engagement Likewise, a balanced force on rod 130 is effected.

Accordingly, it will be apparent from the above description that the bifurcated end of lever 90 engaging respective areas of the rods eliminates any sidewise force thereon and effects only true axial force for all practical purposes.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, I provide a modified cam follower comprising a rocker saddle 140 secured by a shoulder rivet 142 to the'pump lever 10. The saddle is freely pivotal with respect to the lever and is formed with a curvature 146 which engages the eccentric 38. The upper surface of the saddle is formed with a curvature 150 which engages a rounded protuberance 152 of the lever. Thus, in any position of the saddle, the rivet strain is minimized owing-to the engagement of the curved surfaces of the saddle and the lever, there being a sliding action therebetween to compensate for relative motion and positioning of the eccentric and the lever.

In Figs. 9 and is illustrated a modification of the rocker type saddle to the extent that the lever 10" is bifurcated at the end 154 and a pin 156 pivotally secures the saddle 158. Each side of the bifurcated end of the lever has a rounded edge 160 which engages a complementarily shaped surface of the rocker as shown, the edge 160' being circular and co-axial with pin 156 in a manner similar to the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8. 7

Having thus described my invention, 1 am aware that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit thereof and accordingly I do not Seek to be limited to the precise illustration herein given, except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fuel pump operating mechanism, a rockable lever having a channel portion comprising a pair of spaced edges; a saddle carried by said lever having a rib disposed in said channel portion engaging a cam, means securing said saddle to said lever operable to permit sliding with respect thereto in a direction substantially parallel to a tangent to the curved area of said saddle, said saddle having shoulder means extending in said tangent direction, and slidably engageable with respective edges of said channel portion.

2. A lever as set forth in claim 1, said securing means comprising a pin and slot connection intermediate said member and said saddle.

3. In a mechanism as set forth in claim 1, said rib constituting a mid portion on said saddle and having parallel surfaces slidably guided within said channel portion, said shoulder means comprising a pair of spaced protuberances extending normally to respective rib surfaces and having surfaces slidably engageable with aforesaid respective edges of said channel portion, said surfaces being in a common plane and said channel portion edges being in the same plane.

4. In a mechanism as set forth in claim 3, including an aperture through said rib, said channel portion having a pair ofparallel cheeks, an elongated slot in each of said cheeks, said aperture of said rib being aligned with said slots and retaining means passing through said slots and said aperture whereby said saddle is slidably retained in said channel portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,912 Wadsworth Sept. 9, 1906 1,372,408 Dyson Mar. 22, 1921 1,729,448 Michell Sept. 24, 1929 1,742,779 Nutt Jan. 7, 1930 1,982,966 Schweistal Dec. 4, 1934 2,139,347 Babitch et a1 Dec. 6, 1938 2,207,332 Paxton July 9, 1940 2,426,965 Coffey Sept. 2, 1947 2,469,818 Erickson May 10, 1949 2,508,557 Wood May 23, 1950 2,570,560 Katcher Oct. 9, 1951 2,654,266 Edelen Oct. 6, 1953 2,733,619 Smith Feb. 7, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,343 Australia Dec. 15, 1955 432,504 France Oct. 16, 1911 605,242 Great Britain July 19, 1948 627,065 Great Britain July 27, 1949 

